It’s a Small World Movie Sets Meet the Fockers Scribes

Tim Rasmussen and Vince Di Meglio will draft Walt Disney Pictures’ It’s a Small World movie

First announced for development nearly two years ago, an It’s a Small World movie is in development at Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the popular theme park attraction, the It’s a Small World movie has National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub attached to helm and, per Variety, has just brought aboard the writing pair of Tim Rasmussen and Vince Di Meglio to provide the latest draft. Rasmussen and Di Meglio are best known for scripting feature films like Meet the Fockers, License to Wed and Marmaduke.

The original “It’s a Small World” attraction was created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair in support of the United Nations Children’s Fund. The attraction consists of a boat ride through various international cities while parkgoers are serenaded by stylized, animatronic children and a cherry rendition of the ride’s popular theme song. The song, which is sure to be a key feature of the It’s a Small World movie, was written by the Academy Award-winning pair of Richard and Robert Sherman.

Immensely popular, the ride was relocated to Disneyland in 1966 and has been a part of every Disney theme park ever since.

There have already been several feature films based on the Disney theme park rides, including the hugely-successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Other films on the list include the 1997 telefilm Tower of Terror, 2002’s The Country Bears and 2003’s The Haunted Mansion. Brad Bird’s recent Tomorrowland was also largely inspired by the “Tomorrowland” section at Disneyland and the film itself featured the 1964 World’s Fair version of the “It’s a Small World” ride.

Previously, Jared Stern worked on the It’s a Small World movie screenplay. He, along with Michelle Morgan, is writing Warner Bros. Pictures’ The LEGO Movie sequel.

Stern and Turteltaub are both producing the It’s a Small World movie alongside Dan Lin.